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Nikon's development and production base for Semiconductor Lithography Systems is located in Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture. Nikon's Kumagaya Plant that we visited this time, is involved in the entire process from development to the manufacture of Semiconductor Lithography Systems, and is also the development base of the Next Generation Project Headquarters, which handles robot vision and metal 3D printers, and is where approximately 2,000 people work including people from affiliated companies and partner companies.

Kumagai of the Marketing Department of the Precision Equipment Group welcomed Kobayashi and Kamijima and explained the semiconductor manufacturing process.

"The manufacturing of semiconductor chip is complex and involves an enormous number of processes, which can be divided into two main categories: front-end process (wafer processing) and back-end process (assembly) . Nikon manufactures equipment to create tiny electronic circuits on silicon wafers in the exposure process, the keystone in the front-end processes. A semiconductor device is a miniscule silicon chip only a few millimeters square with invisible circuits that are said to be several thousandths of a human hair. Semiconductor Lithography Systems is responsible for engraving these circuits." (Kumagai)

By analogy, the accuracy of Nikon's Semiconductor Lithography Systems would be enough to shoot an apple on the top of Mt. Fuji from Tokyo with a bow and arrow. Kobayashi and Kamijima listen in wide-eyed amazement. They are about to get a glimpse of Nikon's technological expertise, which has made them a leader in Semiconductor Lithography Systems since the 1980s, when the importance of semiconductors grew to become known as the bread and butter of various industries.

Kumagai continued by talking about the appeal and strengths of Nikon's semiconductor equipment business.
"The first is that we are worldwide. Most of our customers are overseas, and with nine local subsidiaries in Asia, Europe, and the US, we're able to work closely with customers in various regions. The second is teamwork. The Semiconductor Lithography Business Unit's work is carried out on a project-by-project basis, from planning to development, manufacturing technology and quality assurance, sales and support, and review. In 2023, we announced the launch of two semiconductor manufacturing equipment: the NSR-S636E ArF Immersion Scanner, designed for fine semiconductors, and the NSR-2205iL1 i-Line Stepper which features a reduced projection magnification of 5x for non-fine semiconductors."

Now then, let's sneak into the development and manufacturing site of Semiconductor Lithography Systems.

Semiconductor Lithography Systems is operated in a cleanroom because the quality of the products is critically affected by particles that adhere to the products during manufacturing. Upon entering the Semiconductor Lithography Systems manufacturing site, Kobayashi and Kamijima also put on cleanroom suits.

After blowing off dust and dirt from their suits with a strong gust in the air shower, they first headed for the assembly process of the stage where silicon wafers are placed.

Here, people gather around the modules and work proceeds quietly. Semiconductor Lithography Systems is made up of various modules, each of which is assembled to meet precision requirements before finally being built into a single gigantic equipment. What they observed was near the end of the process.

Yamagishi, the site manager, explained,
"Actually, it's a long process from here. After the parts are assembled, they must be aligned to the standards in order to enhance accuracy. It's not the end of the manufacturing process once the parts are assembled.” (Yamagishi)

Kamijima asked with interest. "How long does it take to complete the entire process?” (Kamijima)

"The entire assembly process, including the inspection procedure, takes about two months. Notably, this assembly process requires two to three people to complete. Additionally, lifting modules with a crane involves collaboration among many members" (Yamagishi)

Onsite, they notice vinyl-covered shelves everywhere. "The parts are being protected from dust contamination. Even the slightest foreign matter on the mirrors and other reflective parts of the stage can cause an error. Some wafer stage parts cost several million yen, so we cover them with a flake-free material to prevent contamination.” (Yamagishi)
Next is a tour of the assembled Semiconductor Lithography Systems.

"Wow, it's huge!” Both Kobayashi and Kamijima are stunned. When the door to the room opened, what caught their eyes was Nikon's Arf Immersion Lithography Systems, which combines ultra-high precision and productivity. Its height reaches to the second floor.

Kamijima asked, amazed at its size. "Do you transport these machines as-is to the customers?” (Kamijima)

Teshima of the Development Sector answered. "Since we can't transport such a large item as-is, we disassemble the inspected items into modules for shipment and reassemble them at the customer's fab. Semiconductor Lithography Systems is handed over not right after delivery but after it's installed and precisely re-adjusted onsite." (Teshima)

Teshima continued to describe the microscopic world created by the enormous machine. "The precision required for Semiconductor Lithography Systems is in the nanometer (nm) realm. 1nm is one millionth of a millimeter. Given that the size of a single virus is several tens of nanometers, circuits with a width smaller than that must be produced on the wafer without any errors. When I was job hunting, I was told that this process is akin to flying two fighter jets with a chisel wedged between their wings. The development of this equipment is a world of improving accuracy by 0.1 nm. I'm in charge of improving throughput, or productivity, and this is a world where processing time is reduced by 0.1 second."

"When explaining our semiconductor equipment business to job-seeking students, I tell them that Nikon was the first company to successfully develop the 'most precise machine in human history,' but this was the first time I was able to actually experience how amazing that is!" (Kobayashi)
Kobayashi's words are likely to be even more passionate when explaining to students in the future.

After completing their tour of the Semiconductor Lithography Systems manufacturing and development site, Kobayashi and Kamijima interviewed three senior employees of the Semiconductor Lithography Business Unit about the appeal of working with Semiconductor Lithography Systems, a globally expanding business. First was, Yoshihiro Teshima of the Development Sector.

― Teshima, did you join the company because you were interested in Semiconductor Lithography Systems?

Teshima: To be honest, I didn't know much about this level of technology when I was looking for a job. But I thought it would be interesting to compete on the world stage in the field of cutting-edge semiconductor production equipment, so I joined Nikon. There are only three companies in the world that can manufacture Semiconductor Lithography Systems. Among them, I believe Nikon's strength lies in its ability to manufacture all modules in-house.

―What makes it the most precise machine in human history?

Teshima: The point is that an entirely higher magnitude of precision is required. To use a different analogy from the previous one, the accuracy required for Semiconductor Lithography Systems is said to be at the level of a race car traveling at 300 km/h along the same track on a circuit without deviating by even a single micron. Both high speed and high precision are required.

Semiconductor Lithography Systems is something with not many opportunities to be seen but is at the leading edge of technology. In the future, technological innovations beyond our creation might appear one after another. I believe that semiconductors will support such an edge, and Semiconductor Lithography Systems will create such a future.

Next, they talked to Sugawara of the Asia Sales Department.

― Sugawara, why did you join Nikon's Semiconductor Lithography Business Unit?

Sugawara: I have a liberal arts background but was involved in semiconductor manufacturing equipment at my previous company. I joined Nikon because I was attracted to the fact that Nikon manufactures Semiconductor Lithography Systems, which only three companies in the world can do.

Currently, I deal with overseas customers as a sales representative. What I try to do is to communicate with the development and manufacturing departments as we proceed with our work. To achieve results, it's necessary to set clear goals. As Kumagai mentioned earlier, good teamwork is a strength of Nikon's Semiconductor Lithography Business Unit, and as a sales rep, I'm conscious of setting goals and taking the lead.

Not only do we have customers who are looking for the most advanced equipment, but we also have many customers who are manufacturing semiconductors using equipment that's 20 or 30 years old. We believe it's important not only to pursue the latest technology, but also to support our customers so that they can use the equipment they've purchased for a long time.

― Is there anything you are doing for the future?

Sugawara: We're conducting Voice of Customer (VoC) activities to listen to our customers and accommodate their needs. I would like to make this project a success and provide feedback within the company to make better equipment.

Fukuda of the Production Sector is responsible for cost accounting in the Production Sector.

― Fukuda, why did you start working for Nikon's Semiconductor Lithography Business Unit?

Fukuda: I applied for a job in the Semiconductor Lithography Business Unit from the start. At the time, I thought that semiconductors were as indispensable as food, clothing, and shelter, and I wanted to be involved in their production. Now I'm calmly tackling my work while still keeping up the enthusiasm I had when I was job hunting. I believe that semiconductors are a behind-the-scenes force that contributes to a convenient society. I can no longer imagine a world without smartphones and other electronic devices.

―Teamwork is a characteristic of the Semiconductor Lithography Business Unit. What is your view of teamwork?

Fukuda: I suspect that Semiconductor Lithography Systems was created in the first place as the result of teamwork. The sense of teamwork, especially in the development department, is amazing. There are teams that develop and design each module in order to create such a large piece of equipment like we saw onsite today. If all the cogs don't mesh, we cannot accurately deliver the precision of the nano world, which is smaller than a cell, as Teshima mentioned.

In closing, they asked the three, what appealed to them about the Semiconductor Lithography Business Unit.

Sugawara: Worldwide! Our customers are all over the world, so we can work with people from all over the world.

Teshima: The fact that we can appeal to the world through our technical capabilities.

Fukuda: Aside from being worldwide, I also feel it's a close-knit place to work.

The semiconductor market is booming with the development of new digital devices such as smartphones, VR, AR, as well as AI technology, making semiconductors even more indispensable. Semiconductor Lithography Systems, which plays a central role in semiconductor manufacturing, continues to evolve with a strong global team centered in Kumagaya, and is the foundation for new technologies of the future.

About Nikon Semiconductor Lithography Business Unit

*Title and work duties are those at the time of interview

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